QUADRE's TuesdayAt2 is dedicated to sharing "tidbits" concerning the music world from the perspective of executive director, Daniel Wood. QUADRE-The Voice of Four Horns is a group of 4 solo French horn artists that provide concert presentations, interactive educational outreach, lectures and workshops each season.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hope everyone is having a good week. I took a little break from the writing. Been crazy busy the last couple weeks. This week I introduce some musings of my own.

PERSPECTIVEI've come to believe that most of the problems in the world today could be solved with perspective. Now, I'm not talking about a perspective where everyone sees their environment as it relates to chamber music. I may be optimistic, but I'm not nuts. While I love what we do, I recognize that it is a small niche in the grand scheme of things. No, the perspective I'm thinking of is where everyone is always aware how truly vast the universe is.

The fact that the hunk of rock that we are on called Earth is the only hunk of rock we have at our disposal should make some people think a little before they act. It appalls me to no end at how short-sighted us humans can be. "Let's toss junk in the water. Nature will fix it." "Let's go to war, because war always solves problems." "Let's spend money on the latest gadget and gizmo. We'll just throw away our old gadget we bought 3 years ago and have it join millions of other gadgets in landfill."

The funny thing about perspective though, is that we all have at least one. And even if we all used them from time to time, none of our perspectives are going to agree most of the time. That's why I say that we focus on just the "vast universe" one. We may not get anything done and just lie down in despair. However, we'll definitely kill less and ruin our planet more slowly. Just a thought.

POLYGAMYIn my effort to have alliteration in the title, this topic popped into my head. Why? I don't know. Needless to say, it has little to do with chamber music or horn quartets. Oh well, it is more exciting than talking about plugs or pebbles.

I don't know about you, but I can barely handle myself - let alone the thought of having multiple wives. How is it done? Well, I have some ideas on the matter:

1. Excellent Time ManagementTo be a good polygamist, you better have incredible skills at keeping to a schedule.

2. Superb Organization SkillsIf you can't keep track of your life, then this is not for you.

3. Amazing MemoryNothing worse than remembering you did or did not tell someone something after you did or did not tell them.

4. Strong Improvisational SkillsThinking on your feet would be a must. If you get caught in a weird situation, you'll need to figure out a way out of it.

5. Incredible StaminaI know what it can be like to be in one relationship. Going for 2, 3, or more must be like professionally playing basketball, baseball, and football every year.

So, if you're considering going this route, take a good hard look at these skills and make sure you're up to the task. Don't say I didn't warn you. Good Night, and Good Luck.

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QUADRE is a group of four solo French horn artists that provide concert presentations, interactive educational outreach, lectures and workshops each season. Since 1998, the ensemble’s mission is to make new music accessible, engaging and enjoyable for their audiences.